After a slow first half, the second half of the film picked up considerably and made the whole film worth watching. Because I am a fan of many of the actors in here, I'll watch it again but it's not one of the more intense, riveting film noirs of the 1940s.
Dan Duryea did what he did best: play the cocky wise-guy. Joan Bennett as "Kitty March" offered good looks, a body, and a despicable character. Her foil was the pathetic "Christopher Cross," portrayed by Edward G. Robinson. No tough guy role here for Eddie G. He's just a poor sap taken in by a pretty younger woman. Actually, it's hard to feel too sorry for "Chris" as he lets an innocent man go to the electric chair. At least he has a conscience, which torments him more and more as he winds up losing his mind.
Here's another example that one really does "reap what one sows" even if it isn't apparent at first. A conscience gets the best of most people. That's the message of this film, if you can stay with it. Margaret Lindsay is in here, too, someone I've always enjoyed watching, particularly in her films of the early '30s.
Dan Duryea did what he did best: play the cocky wise-guy. Joan Bennett as "Kitty March" offered good looks, a body, and a despicable character. Her foil was the pathetic "Christopher Cross," portrayed by Edward G. Robinson. No tough guy role here for Eddie G. He's just a poor sap taken in by a pretty younger woman. Actually, it's hard to feel too sorry for "Chris" as he lets an innocent man go to the electric chair. At least he has a conscience, which torments him more and more as he winds up losing his mind.
Here's another example that one really does "reap what one sows" even if it isn't apparent at first. A conscience gets the best of most people. That's the message of this film, if you can stay with it. Margaret Lindsay is in here, too, someone I've always enjoyed watching, particularly in her films of the early '30s.